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http://www.archive.org/details/alkaliwaterloggeOOsaltrich 


Salt  Lake  Commercial 
Club  bulletin  No.  One 


Alkali  and 

Water  Logged 

Lands 


.A*^ 


By  THE  LANDS  COMMITTEE 


in 


S^^^ 


J^"^' 


■^i^ 


COMMERCIAL  CLUB,  Inc. 

SALT  LAKE  CITY 


OFFICERS: 
W.   F.  JENSEN,        -         -       President 
FRANK  S.  MURPHY,  Vice-President 
JOHN  F.  BENNETT,      -     Treasurer 
W.  C.  STARK,        -         -        Secretary 


EDITED    BY 

W.  C.  ALEXANDER,  Chairman 
Lands  Committee 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED  LANDS 


Acknowledgment. 

N  PRESENTING  this  bulletin  to  the  public,  the  Salt  Lake 
Commercial  Club,  through  its  Lands  Committee,  wishes 
^tf^  to  acknowledge  its  indebtedness  to  the  following  authori- 
ties on  the  subject  of  reclamation,  and  to  express  its  appre- 
ciation for  the  generous  responses  to  requests  for  the 
articles  contained  in  this,  the  first  of  a  series  of  bulletins  it  is  pro- 
posed to  publish. 

E.  W.  HiLGARD,  L.L.D,  Ph.D., 

Chemist  (Emeritus)  of  the  University  of  California. 

Robert  Stewart,  B.S.,  Ph.D., 
Chemist  of  the  Utah  Agricultural  College. 

E.  D.  Ball,  B.S.,  M.S.,  Ph.D., 

Director  of  the  Utah  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 

L.  A.  Merrill,  B.S., 

Agricultural   Expert   Salt   Lake    Route   and   United   States   Mining, 
Smelting  and  Refining  Company. 

R.  A.  Hart,  B.S.,  C.E., 

Supervising  Drainage   Engineer  of  the  United   States   Department 

of  Agriculture. 

J.  C.  Wheelon, 

Chief  Engineer  of  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company. 


It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  articles  herein  will  correct,  in  a  measure, 
the  general  misapprehension  regarding  alkahne  soils.  "Alkali,"  as  the 
term  is  commonly  used  in  the  west,  conveys  to  the  average  mind  some 
harmful  substance  whose  presence  in  soils  renders  the  land  practically 
valueless  from  an  agricultural  standpoint.  That  the  prevailing  opinion 
IS  contrary  to  the  fact  is  shown  by  the  contributions  to  this  publication, 
notably  in  the  initial  article  by  Prof.  E.  W.  Hilgard. 


369 J  37 


CONTENTS  OF  THIS  BOOK 

COPYRIGHT,  1914. 
BY  THE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED   LANDS 


Introdudlion. 


HE  OBJECT  of  this  bulletin  is  to  place  before  the  public 
authoritative  information  regarding  the  practicability  of 
reclaiming  by  means  of  sub-drainage,  alkaline  atid  water- 
logged lands  generally,  and  with  specific  reference  to  and 
urging  the  development  of  the  major  portion  of  an  area  of 

land  approximating  50,000  acres  lying  between  Salt  Lake  City  and 

Great  Salt  Lake. 

This  area  of  desert — and  in  many  sections  unsightly — waste  is 
in  excess  of  ten  per  cent  of  the  total  acreage  of  Salt  Lake  County,  and 

is  equal  to  forty  per  cent  of 
its  improved  land  in  farms. 
The  articles  contained 
in  this  issue,  which  have 
been  generously  contributed 
by  authorities,  whose  opin- 
ions are  final  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  reclamation, 
should  leave  in  the  minds  of 
even  the  most  skeptical,  no 
doubt  whatever  relative  to 
the  feasibility  of  successful 
reclamation  of  alkaline  and 
water  logged  lands  by 
means  of  drainage. 

There  can  be  no  question 
regarding  the  efficiency  of 
drainage,  but  largely  influ- 
encing its  economic  success 
is  the  factor  of  proper  out- 
let for  drainage  waters.  It 
therefore  follows  that  in 
every  district  where  a  drain- 
age system  is  contemplated,  this  primary  element  should  be  the  sub- 
ject of  careful  investigation. 

Topographical  conditions  under  >*vhich  successful  drainage  of  the 
land  west  of  this  city  must  be  accomplished,  are  such  as  to  require 
much  attention  to  this  important  feature.  The  altitude  of  the  land  with 
reference  to  the  varying  levels  of  Great  Salt  Lake  (upon  which  depends 
the  practical  operation  of  a  gravity  drainage  system)  renders  this  con- 
sideration one  of  unusual  importance.  To  the  end  of  supplying  a 
small  measure  of  accurate  information  on  the  subject  of  elevations,  the 
Commercial  Club  secured  the  services  of  a  competent  engineer,  who 


6  SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 

ran  levels  from  the  lake  to  the  central  portion  of  the  tract  under  con- 
sideration. The  result  of  his  work  dispels  any  doubt  whatever  regard- 
ing^ the  sufficiency  of  outlet  for  gravity  drainage  for  approximately 
ninety  per  cent  of  the  land  traversed,  basing  the  elevation  of  discharge 
upon  the  average  level  of  Great  Salt  Lake  for  the  past  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury. A  graphical  chart  indicating  the  relative  land  and  varying  lake 
levels,  together  with  a  brief  report  and  map  of  Salt  Lake  County  by 
the  engineer  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  issue. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  the  Commercial  Club  to  enter  into  a  tech- 
nical discussion  relative  to  engineering,  the  sufficiency  of  water  for  irri- 
gation or  other  features  involved  in  the  ultimate  reclamation  of  this 
great  tract,  or,  to  pass  upon  the  merit  of  any  existing  enterprise.  It  is 
the  development  of  the  tract  as  a  whole  in  which  this  club  is  interested 
to  the  end  that  it  may  conform  to  the  otherwise  unsurpassed  environ- 
ment of  Salt  Lake  City. 


ALKALI   AND  WATER   LOGGED   LANDS 


ECONOMIC  CONDITIONS 


To  the  most  casual  analyst  of  local  opportunity  for  profitable 
investment  in  a  drainage  enterprise,  it  must  be  readily  apparent  that  this 
area  possesses  exceptional  economic  advantages.  It  lies  within  a  short 
distance  of  Salt  Lake  City,  which  affords  the  largest  as  well  as  the 

best  market  in  Utah  for  all 
produce  and  is  the  distrib- 
uting center  of  the  inter- 
mountain  west.  Its  prox- 
imity to  the  city  oiTers  su- 
j)erior  educational  and  so- 
cial advantages  with  little 
inconvenience,  and  nowhere 
within  the  State  is  to  be 
found  an  undeveloped  area, 
similar  in  extent,  which  is 
so  well  served  with  all 
classes  of  public  utilities. 

The  transportation  fa- 
cilities are  exceptional.  Ex- 
tending through  the  cen- 
tral portion  of  the  tract  is 
the  Salt  Lake  &  Los  An- 
geles (Saltair)  Railroad, 
and  to  the  south,  within  a 
distance  of  less  than  two 
miles  from  it,  are  the  lines 
of  the  Salt  Lake  Route 
and  the  Western  Pacific 
Railroads.  Electrical  energy  for  commercial  and  domestic  purposes  is 
easily  available  from  the  transmission  system  of  the  Utah  Power  & 
Light  Company,  while  telephone  and  telegraph  service  may  be  obtained 
from  the  lines  which  traverse  this  area.  Topographical  conditions  are 
such  that  highways  of  very  light  grades,  leading  to  almost  every  section, 
may  be  constructed  and  maintained  at  very  low  cost. 


if^ll!l,iilin 
r.J!l|l  11111 


RECLAMATION 

The  feasibility  of  successfully  reclaiming  these  lands  by  means  of 
drainage  has' advanced  beyond  the  experimental  period.  This  state- 
ment has  been  confirmed  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture, acting  jointly  with  the  Utah  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  on 
what  is  known  as  the  "Swan  Tract,"  an  area  of  forty  acres  in  Section 
5,  Township  1  south.  Range  1  west,  on  the  line  of  the  Western  Pacific 
Railroad.  This  acreage  was  selected  as  representative  of  perhaps  the 
worst  possible  soil  condition  to  be  found  on  the  tract.  Not  only  was 
the  land  water  logged  but  the  alkaline  content  so  high  that,  in  places 


8 


SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 


upon  its  salt  incrusted  surface,  even  native  plant  growth  was  utterly 
impossible.  Within  the  short  period  of  a  year,  this  farm,  under  intelli- 
gent management,  produced  a  satisfactory  crop  and  is  now  regarded  as 
being  the  best  "40"  wesbof  the  city.  A  brief  article  by  Prof.  L.  A. 
Merrill  regarding  the  results  of  this  experiment  will  be  found  in  this 
booklet. 

An  entirely  successful  demonstration  of  drainage  reclamation  by 
private  enterprise,  under  conditions  similar  to  those  of  the  Swan  Tract, 
has  been  a  recent  accomplishment  by  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company 
in  Bear  River  Valley  under  the  able  direction  of  its  chief  engineer,  J.  C. 
Wheelon,  by  whom  an  instructive  article  has  been  contributed.  The 
articles 'by  Prof.  E.  D.  Ball  of  the  Utah  Agricultural  Experiment  Sta- 
tion, R.  A.  Hart  of  the  Department  of  the  Interior  and  Mr.  Wheelon, 
regarding  the  practicability  of  reclaiming  worthless  lands  by  means  of 
drainage,  should  be  thoroughly  convincing. 


SOIL 


Concerning  the  chemical  composition  of  the  soil  of  this  tract  (aside 
from  its  alkaline  content),  it  is  shown  by  analyses  that  the  elements 
essential  to  plant  growth  are  found  in  such  quantities  as  to  assure  com- 
mercial agricultural  success.  The  Utah  Agricultural  Experiment  Sta- 
tion, in  co-operation  with  the  Bureau  of  Soils  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture,  at  the  time  the  soil  survey  of  this  tract  was 
made,  collected  some  fifty  samples  from  various  portions  of  the  land, 
and  included  in  this  bulletin  is  an  exhaustive  article  by  Prof.  Robert 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED  LANDS  9 

Stewart  of  the  Utah  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  thoroughly  cov- 
ering this  -essential  subject  and  which,  through  his  courtesy,  is  for 
the  first  time  given  to  the  public. 

From  the  foregoing  and  the  articles  following,  two  conclusions,  at 
least,  will  be  reached :  First,  that  this  area  offers  unusual  opportunities 
for  investment  in  drainage , enterprises,  from  which  very  exceptional 
profits  may  be  realized.  Second,  and  far  the  more  important  from  a 
civic  viewpoint — the  transformation  of  this,  the  most  conspicuous 
waste  in  Utah,  into  productive  fields  and  gardens. 


PUBLIC  OPINION 


The  environs  of  Salt  Lake  City,  with  the  single  exception  of  this 
area,  are  rarely  equaled.  The  beauty  of  the  surrounding  scenery  is 
nowhere  in  the  west  surpassed.     Particularly  is  this  true  of  its  many 

magnificent  canyons,  but,  unfortu- 
nately, the  greater  percentage  of 
visitors  rarely  spend  sufficient  time 
here  to  visit  them  and  their  opin- 
ions are  largely  based  upon  obser- 
vations from  passing  trains.  The 
railroads  leading  north  and  south 
from  this  city  traverse  a  country, 
the  greater  portion  of  which  is  un- 
der a  high  state  of  cultivation ;  the 
fields  and  orchards  with  their  back- 
ground of  majestic  mountains  bear 
silent  testimony  to  the  fertility  of 
the  soil  and  industry  of  the  people. 
The  impression  on  the  traveler  is 
salutary. 

In    striking    and    disagreeable 
contrast  is  the  impression  received 
in   traveling  westerly  through   the 
area  under  discussion.     Traversing 
its     southern     boundary     are    two 
transcontinental  lines,  the   Western 
Pacific  and  Salt  Lake  Route,  while 
bisecting  it  is  the  Saltair  Railroad  which,  during  the  summer  season, 
carries  constantly  increasing  thousands  of  visitors  to  Utah's  world- 
famous  lake  and  its  equally  famous  resort — Saltair. 

The  opinion  which  all  travelers  automatically  form  in  traversing 
this  unsightly  forbidding  waste  is  justly  unfavorable  and  one  which 
at  best  cannot  but  reflect  negatively  upon  an  otherwise  progressive 
community. 

The  advertising  value  of  favorable  expression  by  travelers  con- 
cerning any  section  of  the  country  visited  is  difficult  to  measure.     Its 


10 


SALT  LAKE  COMMERCL\L  CLUB 


infliienGe  is  far  reaching  and  very  often  the  pleased  visitor  becomes  a 
satisfied  investor  and  frequently  a  resident. 

Pleasing  environment  of  a  well  equipped  city  offers  an  uncon- 
scious inducement  to  the  itinerant  to  prolong  his  visit,  during  which 
tlic  active  man  of  business  is  certain  to  inquire  relative  to  local  condi- 
t'ons  and  opportunities.  The  longer  the  visitor  remains  the  greater 
the  likelihood  of  his  engaging  in  the  affairs  of  the  community.  This 
^______ interest  in  turn  ex- 


tends to  his  associ- 
ates, all  of  which 
tends  to  the  up- 
building of  the 
state. 

It  is  outside  cap- 
ital for  develop- 
ment of  which  all 
western  states 
stand  in  need.  No- 
where in  the  inter- 
mountain  west  do 
so  many  opportu- 
nities exist  as  in 
Utah,  a  state  which 
has  within  its 
boundaries  all  of 
the  resources  of  an 
empire.  No  western  state  stands  more  in  need  of  financial  assistance 
to  develop  its  wonderful  resources  than  Utah — resources  which  are  as 
yet,  practically  untouched  and  local  capital,  however  actively  it  may 
be  employed,  is  far  from  sufficient  to  realize  even  a  fraction  of  the 
results  which  are  possible  with  the  opportunities  everywhere  at  hand. 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED  LANDS  11 


CONCLUSION 

Agricultural  expansion  of  the  arid  states  is  restricted  by  reason 
of  topographical  conditions  or  scarcity  of  water,  to  comparatively  nar- 
row limits.  This  unquestionably  applies  to  the  State  of  Utah  gener- 
ally and  to  Salt  Lake  County  in  particular.  Considering  the  limited 
undeveloped  area  in  this  country  which  is  susceptible  of  cultivation 
and  its  proximity  to  the  largest  city  in  the  State,  it  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine the  cause  for  its  present  condition.  That  the  soil  is  alkaline  should 
afford  no  ground  for  apprehension  regarding  the  ultimate  result  of  de- 
velopment. The  practical  demonstration  on  the  "Swan  Tract"  has 
long  since  proven  its  feasibility.  But  one  logical  reason  seems  to 
remain — the  lack  of  publicity  concerning  the  truth  relating  to  the  suc- 
cessful reclamation  of  this  class  of  land  and  the  intrinsic  value  of  this 
particular  tract. 

In  presenting  this  bulletin,  it  is  with  the  desire  that  it  may  prove, 
in  a  measure  at  least,  educational  and  if  there  shall  follow  as  a  result 
of  this  e'ffort  to  correct  erroneous  impressions,  a  measure  of  activity 
leading  to  the  development  of  this  tract,  the  endeavors  of  the  Salt  Lake 
Commercial  Club  to  that  end,  through  its  Lands  Committee,  will  not 
have  been  in  vain. 


12 


SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 


A  WELL  KNOWN  FARM  LOCATED  SOUTH  OF  SALT  LAKE  CITY. 

Indicates   the   agricultural   development   which   is   possible   to   equal   in   the 

area  west  of  the  city. 


A  TYPICAL  FARM  NORTH  OF  SALT  LAKE  CITY  UNDER  A  HIGH 
STATE  OF  CULTIVATION. 

This  farm,  with  many  others,  adds  to  the  environment  of  Utah's  metropolis. 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED  LANDS  13 


Mr.  IV.  C.  Stark, 

Secretary  Commercial  Club, 
Salt  Lake  City. 

In  response  to  your  request  that  I  should  give  to  you  some  special 
expression  of  my  views  regarding  alkali  lands  and  their  cultural  value 
I  might  say,  summarily,  that  both  chemical  investigation  and  practical 
experience  have  shown  that  when  such  lands  are  once  freed  from  excess 
of  salts  which  injure  useful  vegetation  they  prove  exceptionally  and 
lastingly  productive;  more  so  even  than  the  non-alkahne  lands  lyings 
adjacent.  The  fact  that  they  result  from  the  failure  of  adequate  rainfall 
to  leach  out  the  salts  at  once  indicates  that  all  the  active  soil  ingredients 
are  retained,  the  useful  ones  as  well  as  the  useless,  so  that  so  soon  as 
the  useless  or  injurious  salts  like  common  and  Glaubers  salts  and 
carbonate  of  soda  are  removed  there  remains  an  accumulation  of  plant 
food  which  for  a  long  time  renders  fertilization  unnecessary,  provided 
only  that  proper  deep  cultivation  is  practiced  and  maintained,  so  that 
the  crop  roots  can  reach  the  great  depths  to  which  the  available  soil 
almost  always  reaches  in  these  lands.  They  are  therefore  eminently 
adapted  to  intensive  culture,  such  as  truck-farming,  where  markets  are 
available.  The  maintenance  of  good  surface  mulch  of  loose  soil,  to 
prevent  unnnecessary  evaporation  from  the  surface,  is  of  course  as 
needful  in  alkali  lands  as  in  other  dry-farming  soils  of  the  arid  region. 
But  owing  to  the  remaining  saline  ingredients,  reclaimed  alkali  soils 
are  always  more  easily  kept  in  a  moist  condition  which  greatly  helps 
vegetation. 

While  the  reclamation  of  alkali  lands  by  drainage  is  somewhat  ex- 
pensive in  extreme  cases,  there  is  a  large  porportion  of  them  that,  while 
showing  some  salts  on  the  surface  before  cultivation,  may  be  made  to 
produce  large  crops  by  deep  and  thorough  tillage  and  the  maintenance 
of  a  good  surface  mulch,  alone.  The  one  deficiency  of  most  of  these 
lands  is  lack  of  humus,  but  this  can  readily  be  made  up  by  turning  under 
the  abundant  vegetation  they  produce. 

E.  W.  HiLGARD. 


14 


SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 


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ALKALI   AND  WATER  LOGGED   LANDS  15 


Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 

January  2nd,  1914. 
Mr.  W.  C.  Alexander, 

Chairman  Lands  Conwiittee  Commercial  Club, 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

Dear  Sir: 

Complying  with  your  instructions,  I  ran  levels  on  the  Salt  Lake 
Meridian  from  Salt  Lake  City  to  Great  Salt  Lake,  connecting  with  the 
guage  of  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau  at  Saltair.  When  running 
these  levels,  I  took  the  elevation  of  certain  lands  lying  adjacent  to  the 
Meridian  which  are  indicated  on  map  of  Salt  Lake  County,  herewith. 

The  levels  taken  disclose  the  following  facts : 

(1)  The  elevation  of  the  present  level  (January  1st,  1914)  of 
Great  Salt  Lake  is  4229  feet  above  sea  level. 

(2)  The  elevation  of  the  highest  land  (near  Ewing  Station) 
covered  by  these  levels  is  4256. 

(3)  The  elevation  of  the  low^est  land  surveyed  (near  the  works 
of  the  Inland  Crystal  Salt  Co.)  is  4238. 

(4)  The  average  elevation  of  land  covered  by  these  levels  is 
4244  feet  above  sea  level.  (All  elevations  refer  to  Salt  Lake  City 
datum.) 

Therefore,  the  greater  portion  of  the  land  surveyed  is  susceptible 
of  gravity  drainage  with  outlet  into  Great  Salt  Lake  with  tile  placed 
at  a  depth  of  five  feet  under  ground,  so  long  as  the  water  level  of 
the  Lake  remains  below  a  reading  of  thirteen  (13'')  feet  on  the  guage 
of  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau  at  Saltair. 

Should  the  water  level  of  the  Lake  arise  above  this  level,  a  gravity 
system  of  drainage  would  fail  and  a  pumping  system  would  be  re- 
quired. 

In  order  that  some  opinion  may  be  formed  as  to  the  possibility 
of  the  Lake  attaining  to  that  height,  I  am  submitting  herewith  a  dia- 
gram showing  the  fluctuations  of  the  Lake  from  the  year  1862  to  date. 
On  this  diagram  are  indicated  the  elevation  of  the  Lucin  Cut  Off  of  the^ 
Southern  Pacific  Railroad  across  the  Lake  and  the  pier  at  Saltair,  also 
the  elevations  of  the  land  surveyed. 

Yours  very  respectfully, 

L.  C.  Stubbins,  C.  E. 

Chief  Engineer  Richlands  Irrigation  Co. 


16 


SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED   LANDS 


17 


MORGAN 

COUNTY 


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Map  of 
SALT    LAKE   COUNTY,  UTAH 

Fo-    SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 


L.C.STUBBINS 

Con«ulHn9  tngr. 
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1^  accompany     BULLETIN    N9I 

of  the     LANDS  COMMITTEE. 

W.  C .  ALCXANOCn , 


(COPYRIGHT,  i9i4r  BY  THE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB) 


18 


SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 


1 

UNIT  •1000 
UNITS 

1 

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BULLETIN   NSI    orxMe 

Salt  Lake  City  Commercial  Club 

showing    Increase    in   Pb^ulafion,    lmf>roved    farms, 
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230 

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ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED   LANDS 


19 


THE  SOILS  OF  SALT  LAKE  COUNTY 

BY 

Robert  Stewart,  Chemist,  Utah  Experiment  Station. 

A  complete  soil  survey  of  the  region  lying  west  of  the  Jordan  River 
in  Salt  Lake  County,  Utah,  was  made  in  1899  by  the  Utah  Experiment 
Station  in  co-operation  with  the  Bureau  of  Soils  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture.  The  physical  and  alkali  conditions  of  the 
area  are  quite  thoroughly  discussed  in  the  report  of  the  survey  which 
may  be  obtained  from  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  or 
from  the  Utah  Experiment  Station.  In  this  report  no  discussion  was 
made  regarding  the  plant-food  content  of  the  soil  and  it  is  therefore  the 
purpose  of  this  article  to  give  a  brief  discussion  of  the  fertility  of  the 
soil  from  the  viewpoint  of  plant-food  actually  present  in  the  soil. 

At  the  time  of  the  survey,  samples  of  soil  representative  of  the 
important  soil  types  to  a  depth  of  twelve  (12)  inches  were  carefully 
collected  and  preserved  for  chemical  analysis.  The  Jordan  Sandy 
loam  comprises  above  30%  of  the  area  investigated.  Gardner  and 
Stewart  in  their  report  of  the  survey  say,  ''The  Jordan  Sandy  loam  is 
easily  cultivated  and  is  sufficiently  fertile  to  produce  almost  any  class 
of  crops.  It  forms  the  most  valuable  portion  of  the  low  salty  area, 
because  of  the  ease  with  which  it  may  be  reclamed  by  underdrainage 
and  washing." 

The  analysis  of  these  samples  of  soil  from  this  type  are  reported  in 
Table  1.  Phosphorus,  Potassium  and  Nitrogen  in  Jordan  Sandy  Loam. 
(Results  expressed  as  pounds  per  two  million  of  soil.) 


Labora- 
tory No. 


Description  and  Location  of 
Samples 


Phos- 
phorus 


Potas- 
sium 


Nitro- 
gen 


19523 
19527 
19536 
19537 
19538 
19539 
19542 
19544 
19545 
19547 
19548 
19550 


NE  Corner  of  SE  Quarter  of  Sec.  27, 

Township  3  S,  Range  1  W 

South  Center  of  Sec.  22,  Township  1 

S,  Range  1  W 

Near  NE  Corner  of  Sec.  15,  Town- 
ship 2  S,  Range  1  W 

SE  Corner  of  Sec.  5,  Township  2  S, 

Range   1   W    

E   Center  of  Sec.  3,  Township  2   S, 

Range    1   W 

N  Center  of  Sec.  10,  Township  2  S, 

Range   1    W 

N  Center  of  Sec.  27,  Township  2  S, 

Range   1   W 

NE  Corner  of  Sec.  29,  Township  2  S, 

Range  2  W    -.  . 

Near  S.  Center  of  Sec.  18,  Township 

1  S,  Range  2  W 

SW  Corner  of  Sec.  22,  Township  1  S, 

Range  2  W 

SE  Cortier  of  Sec.  28,  Township  1  S, 

Range  2  W 

S  Center  of  Sec.  1.  Township  1  S, 

Range  2  W  

Average. 


2800 

5600 

4400 

4600 

3800 

4000 

3800 

6800 

2800 

4800 

2400 

2200 
4000 


18600 

11600 

10200 

21000 

21000 

12400 

15600 

15000 

5400 

16200 

12000 

13600 
12633 


2400 

5420 

2160 

3460 

2520 

2900 

3300 

3300 

2660 

2120 

3000 

2080 
2948 


20 


SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 


The  soils  of  this  type  are  very  rich  in  phosphorus.  A  soil  contain- 
ing 2200  pounds  of  phosphorus  per  two  million  pounds  of  soil  is  re- 
garded as  rich  in  this  element.  It  will  be  noted  that  none  of  the  samples 
analyzed  contain  a  smaller  quantity  of  phosphorus  than  this,  while  the 
average  amount  of  phosphorus  present  is  4000  pounds  per  two  million 
pounds. 

The  potassium  content  is  also  high.  A  soil  containing  11500 
pounds  of  potassium  per  two  million  of  soil  is  abundantly  supplied  with 
potassium.  Only  one  sample  falls  below  this  amount,  and  many  of  them 
greatly  exceed  it,  while  the  average  amount  is  greater  by  1100  pounds. 
With  the  proper  methods  of  cultivation  the  amount  of  potassium  present 
is  sufficient  for  indefinite  periods  of  time  for  ordinary  general  farm 
crops. 

The  amount  of  nitrogen  present  is  as  in  all  arid  soils,  somewhat 
low — but  by  the  proper  utilization  of  the  ability  of  legume  crops  to 
secure  nitrogen  from  the  air  this  deficiency  can  easily  be  corrected  in  a 
proper  system  of  agriculture. 


Table  2.     Phosphorus,  Potassium  and  Nitrogen  in  Jordan  Meadows. 
(Results  expressed  as  pounds  per  two  million  of  soil.) 


Labora- 
tory No. 

Description  and  Location  of 
Samples 

Phos- 
phorus 

Potas- 
sium 

Nitro- 
gen 

19524           NE  Corner  of  NW  Quarter  of  Sec. 

14,  Township  3  S,  Range  1  W 

19540           NE  Corner  of  Sec.  11,  Township  2  S, 

Range   1   W 

2600 
3200 

1 
14600       2020 

17000  1    5820 

Average 

2900 

15800  1    3920 

The  composition  of  the  soil  of  the  Jordan  Meadows  is  indicated 
in  Table  2.  The  conclusions  arrived  at  by  a  study  of  the  results  for 
the  Jordan  sandy  loam,  apply  here  also. 

Table  3.     Phosphorus,  Potassium  and  Nitrogen  in  the  Jordan  Loam. 
(Results  expressed  as  pounds  per  two  million  of  soil.) 


I  abora- 1 
tory  No.] 


Description  and  Location  of 
Samples 


Phos- 
phorus 


Potas- 
sium 


Nitro- 
gen 


19525  I     About    2    miles     NE    of    Harriman, 
I         Township  3  S,  Range  1  W 

19526  NW  Corner  of  Sec.  29,  Township  1 
S,  Range   1    W 

19541  NW  Corner  of  Sec.  4,  Township  1  S, 
Range   1   W....'. 

19543  Near  Center  of  Sec.  28,  Township 
2  S,  Range  1  W 


Average 


2600 
3400 
2800 
3400 


17000 
14000 
15800 
16000 


2800 


15700 


1780 
2520 
2260 
2440 


2225 


The  composition  of  the  Jordan  loam  is  shown  in  Table  3.  This 
soil  lii<e  the  Jordan  Meadows  and  Jordan  sandy  loam  is  well  supplied 
with  the  elements  of  plant  food. 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED  LANDS  21 

Table  4.     Phosphorus,  Potassium  and  Nitrogen  in  Jordan  Clay. 
(Results  expressed  as  pounds  per  two  million  of  soil.) 


Labora- 
tory No. 

Description  and    Location  of                 Phos- 
Samples                                   phorus 

Potas- 
sium 

Nitro- 
gen 

19546 

N   Center  of  Sec.   5,  Township   1   S, 
Range  2  W 

1400 

13000       1260 

The  composition  of  the  Jordan  clay  is  indicated  in  Table  4.  This 
is  a  much  poorer  type  of  soil  than  the  others  since  it  contains  only  half 
as  much  phosphorus  and  nitrogen.  Soil  of  this  type  is  also  very  compact 
and  difficult  to  drain. 

Table  5.     Phosphorus,  Potassium  and  Nitrogen  in  Soils  on  Higher 

Lands  of  Salt  Lake  County. 

(Results  expressed  as  pounds  per  two  million  of  soil.) 


1.  abora- 

Description  and  Location  of 

Phos- 

Potas- 

Nitro- 

torv No. 

Sample       - 

phorus 

sium 

gen 

19528 

Near  E  Center  of  Sec.  29,  Township 

1  S,  Range  1  E 

3000 

14800 

4860 

19529 

Near  W  Center  of  Sec.  14,  Township 

2  S,  Range  1  E 

3800 

17200 

2740 

19530 

E  Center  of  Sec.  17,  Township  2  S, 

Range  1  E 

3000 

11600 

25  bO 

19531 

E   Part  of  NW  Quarter  of  Sec.  32, 

Township  2  S,  Range  1   E 

2600 

7800 

3500 

19534 

Near  Center  of  SW  Quarter  of  Sec. 

31,  Township  1  S,  Range  1  E 

3600 

14000 

2400 

19535 

NW  Corner  of  Sec.   19,  Township  1 

S,  Range  1   E 

4200 

13000 

5740 

Average 

3370 

13400 

3200 

The  results  in  Table  5  show  the  composition  of  the  older  cultivated 
lands  in  the  vicinity  of  Murray.  They  are  given  here  for  comparison. 
Tt  may  be  noted  that  the  soils  west  of  Salt  Lake  are  nearly  as  well  sup- 
plied with  nitrogen  and  potassium  and  far  more  abundantly  supplied 
with  phosphorus.  Sufficient  accurate  chemical  evidence  is  thus  pre- 
sented upon  which  to  base  a  confident  statement  that  the  soils  are  well 
supplied  with  the  chemical  elements  of  fertility.  //  the  salts  are  per- 
manently removed  by  adequate  drainage  the  soil  should  be  converted 
into  fertile  farms.  Attention  should  be  called  to  the  fact  that  in  the 
removal  of  alkali  salts  by  drainage  the  tilth  of  the  soil  may  be  destroyed 
temporarily,  but  this  condition  can  easily  be  remedied  by  the  introduction 
of  organic  matter  in  the  form  of  barnyard  manure  or  by  ploimng  under 
a  green  manure  crop. 


22  SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 

REDEEMING  ALKALINE  LANDS 

BY 

E.  D.  Ball,  Director,  Utah  Experiment  Station. 

If  the  wealth  of  a  state  is  to  be  measured  by  the  amount  of  its 
undeveloped  resources,  then  Utah  may  be  reckoned  as  one  of  the  wealthy 
states. 

At  the  present  time,  both  Government  funds  and  private  capital  in 
large  amounts  are  being  used  to  develop  new  irrigated  sections  that  will 
ultimately  bring  greatly  increased  areas  under  cultivation,  establish  new 
towns  and  cities  and  build  up  those  already  here.  Some  of  these  pro- 
jects are  far  from  markets  and  lack  transportational  facilities  and  even 
with  good  soil  and  water,  will  develop  slowly  until  these  conditions 
change.  Without  the  irrigation  project,  these  conditions  would  probably 
never  be  changed  and  development  of  new  territory  without  the  "pio- 
neer" stage  is  impossible. 

There  are,  however,  immense  areas  in  the  state  that  are  close  to 
established  cities  and  towns,  with  transportation  facilities  already  at 
hand,  which  "offer  just  as  tempting  a  field  for  investment  as  do  the 
irrigation  projects  now  building. 

The  "pioneering"  in  this  case  will  have  to  be  done  by  the  company 
that  develops  them  and  not  by  the  settlers  after  they  are  developed  and 
there  seems  to  be  the  rub, — pioneering  work  is  alright — for  the  other 
fellow. 

The  areas  referred  to  are  the  alkali  flats  west  of  Salt  Lake  City  and 
other  similar  tracts  extending  along  the  Wasatch  Range.  Taken  alto- 
gether there  is  an  immense  area  of  such  land  in  the  state.  Land  where, 
if  once  reclaimed  and  made  productive,  the  settlers  could  enjoy,  right 
from  the  start,  all  the  advantages  of  proximity  to  markets,  rural  free 
delivery  and  social  and  educational  advantages  of  well  developed  com- 
munities. 

Experiments  already  carried  on  by  the  Agricultural  College  and  the 
U.  S.  Government  Drainage  Department,  working  in  co-operation  have 
shown  that  the  alkali  can  be  worked  out  of  the  land  at  reasonable  cost 
and  that  once  the  alkali  is  removed,  the  land  can,  with  the  time  and  labor 
necessary  to  develop  any  virgin  soil,  be  brought  under  cultivation  and 
profitable  crops  produced. 

Just  why  the  lands  have  not  been  developed  previous  to  this  is  hard 
to  understand.  It  certainly  cannot  be  the  cost,  as  experiments  have 
proven  that  it  will  cost  less  to  reclaim  this  land  than  it  will  to  furnish 
water  to  any  of  the  irrigated  projects  under  way  at  the  present  time.  '  It 
certainly  cannot  be  the  lack  of  water  to  wash  out  the  alkali  because  the 
washing  could  be  done  in  the  spring  or  fall  when  the  water  was  not  in 
use.  It  cannot  be  the  time  involved  in  the  washing  process,  a  matter 
of  two  or  three  years,  as  many  projects  have  taken  much  longer  time 
than  that.  The  only  apparent  explanation  is  the  one  suggested  before, 
that  corporations  do  not  like  to  "pioneer."    Their  engineers  have  had 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED  LANDS  23 

no  experience  in  the  line  of  work  and  cannot  furnish  them  estimates  with 
the  accuracy  of  an  irrigated  project  and  they  therefore  much  prefer  the 
beaten  path. 

The  agricultural  possibilities  of  these  lands,  for  trucking  and  market 
gardening  are  too  great,  however,  for  them  to  remain  idle  much  longer. 
Some  courageous  corporation  will  pave  the  way  and  then  there  will  be 
a  scramble  to  get  in  on  what  must  ultimately  prove  to  be  a  profitable 
investment. 

There  is  no  need,  however,  for  capitalists  to  hesitate  on  this  project. 
Agricultural  experts  are  at  hand  to  examine  and  select  lands  that  have 
the  most  favorable  soil  conditions.  Drainage  engineers  can  give  close 
estimation  of  the  cost  of  installing  a  drainage  system  with  laterals  close 
enough  to  wash  out  the  alkali  in  a  reasonable  time.  Irrigation  engineers 
can  figure  the  cost  of  bringing  water  to  the  land  and  the  cost  of  leveling 
and  diking  to  hold  the  water.  Anyone  can  figure  the  cost  of  watering 
the  land  to  wash  out  the  alkali,  the  water  will  do  the  rest. 

After  the  land  has  been  washed  free  of  harmful  amounts  of  alkali 
then  the  soil  will  need  stirring  and  washing  for  a  year  to  overcome  the 
eflfects  of  the  puddling  and  washing  to  bring  it  into  condition  to  grow 
crops,  but  any  raw  land  must  be  worked  up  and  subdued  before  it  is 
profitably  farmed. 


24 


SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 


DRAINAGE  OF  ALKALI  LANDS 

BY 

Prof.  Lewis  A.  Merrill,  Agricultural  Expert  Salt  Lake  Route 
AND  Secretary  Utah  State  Conservation  Commission 


For  several  years  past  the  feasibility  of  reclaiming  water-logged 
and  alkali  lands  by  tile-drainage  has  been  urged  by  Government  and 
State  Officials.  Some  twelve  years  ago  the  writer,  who  was  then  con- 
nected with  the  Utah  Experiment  Station,  represented  the  state  in  a 
co-operative  experiment  with  the  Government  in  an  attempt  to  reclaim 
a  forty  acre  tract  near  Salt  Lake  City. 

Irrigated  lands  in  Salt  Lake  valley  are  worth  from  $125.00  to 
$250.00  per  acre,  and  if  adjacent  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  free  from  alkali 
are  worth  much  more.  There  is  plenty  of  good  tile  clay  in  the  vicinity  of 
Salt  Lake  City  and  tile  can  be  and  is  manufactured  here  at  a  reasonable 
cost.  Experience  has  shown  that  these  lands  can  be  drained  at  a  cost  of 
less  than  $25.00  per  acre.  It  is  apparent,  therefore,  that  there  is  here 
an  opportunity  for  a  material  addition  to  the  wealth  and  population  of 
Salt  Lake  valley. 

Careful  estimates  show  that  there  are  at  least  90  square  miles  be- 
tween Salt  Lake  City  and  the  lake  that  can  be  drained ;  lands  that  at 
present  have  but  a  nominal  value,  but  if  properly  drained  would  be 
worth  at  least  six  million  dollars. 

That  the  drainage  can  be  successfully  accomplished  and  the  alkali 
removed  has  already  been  demonstrated.  In  1902  the  "Swan  tract," 
consisting  of  40  acres,  lying  4  miles  west  of  Salt  Lake  City  in  Sec.  5 
Township  1  S.,  R.  1  W.,  was  underlaid  with  tile  at  a  cost  of  $660.00 

This  land  was  strongly  impregnated  with  alkali  salts  and  was  con- 
sidered practically  valueless.  After  installation  of  tiles,  the  land  was 
flooded  practically  each  week  for  an  irrigation  season. 

Before  any  water  was  applied  to  the  tract,  however,  a*detailed 
survey  was  made  to  determine  the  alkali  content  of  the  ^  soil.  The 
following  table  gives  the  tonnage  of  alkali  in  the  tract,  as  shown  by 
these  surveys : 

Quantity  of  Alkali  in  the  First  Four  Feet  of  Soil  in  the  Szvan  Tract. 


*     Soil 

Sbptbmbbr,  1902 

May,  1903 

OCTOBBB,    1913 

Sections 

Alkali 
In  40a 

Per  cent 
of  Total 

Alkali 
in  40a 

Percent 
of  Total 

♦Percent 
Lost 

Alkali 
in  40a 

Per  cent 
of  Total 

*Per 
cent  Lost 

1st    Ft. 
2nd  Ft. 
3rd   Ft. 
4th   Ft. 

1363 
1540 
1766 
1982 

20 
23 
27 
30 

499 

650 

1066 

1265 

14 
19 
31 
36 

63 
58 
40 
36 

101 
183 
330 
607 

8 
15 
28 
49 

92 
88 
82 
69 

Total 

6651 

3480 



49 

1221 

82 

•'Shows  the  proportion  of  the  salts  removed  as  compared  with  the  salt 
originally  present  in  the  various  depths. 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED  LANDS  25 

The  data  given  in  the  table  shows  that  between  September, 
1902,  and  the  following  May,  J,///  tons  of  salt  had  been  removed  from 
the  soil  to  a  depth  of  four  feet,  and  that  between  September  1902  and 
the  following  October,  3,430  tons  had  been  removed,  or  82  per  cent  of 
the  alkali  originally  in  the  first  four  feet  of  soil. 

The  tract  was  sown  to  fall  rye  during  the  fall  of  1903  and  this 
plowed  under  during  the  spring  of  1904  in  order  to  add  humus  to  the 
soil.  The  land  was  then  seeded  to  alfalfa  with  oats  as  a  nurse  crop. 
During  1904  a  profitable  crop  of  oats  was  secured  and  a  uniform  "stand" 
of  alfalfa  established.  Since  that  time  the  alfalfa  on  this  tract  has  run 
normal  and  healthy  and  the  fact  that  the  removal  of  alkali  salts  by  drain- 
age can  be  accomplished  definitely  proven. 

Drainage  of  lands  not  only  removes  alkali  but  prevents  water  log- 
ging— promotes  soil  areation  and  is  most  desirable  farm  practice.  It  is 
to  be  hoped  that  the  unsightly,  forbidding,  desolate  stretch  of  waste 
alkali  lands  near  Salt  Lake  City  may  be  converted  into  beautiful  fruit- 
ful fields  of  golden  harvest,  where  now  there  is  a  dreary  waste,  through 
the  process  of  drainage. 


26  SALT  LAKE  COMMERCL^L  CLUB 

DRAINAGE  A  FACTOR  IN  THE  FUTURE  GROWTH 
OF  SALT  LAKE  CITY 

BY 

R.  A.  Hart,  Supervising  Drainage  Engineer  U.  S.  Department  of 

Agriculture. 

It  may  sound  antithetical  to  say  that  one  of  the  most  important 
factors  of  the  future  growth  of  Salt  Lake  City,  the  acknowledged 
capital  of  the  arid  west,  is  the  drainage  of  agricultural  lands,  yet  such  a 
statement  is  capable  of  proof  and  it  is  the  purpose  of  this  article  to  im- 
press upon  the  public  generally  the  vital  importance  of  this  phase  of 
reclamation  work. 

We  must  admit  that  agriculture  is  the  fundamental  basis  of  our 
existence  and  is  the  foundation  of  both  manufacture  and  commerce. 
Utah  is  primarily  an  agricultural  state  and  with  all  due  respect  to  our 
mining  and  other  allied  industries,  we  are  compelled  to  acknowledge 
agriculture  as  being  the  one  stable  producer  of  private  necessities  and 
public  wealth. 

Science  is  doing  much  to  assist  in  the  utilization  of  lands  beyond  the 
reach  of  irrigation  water  but  "dry  farming,"  as  we  choose  to  call  it,  must 
for  the  greater  part  be  confined  to  the  production  of  annual  crops  such 
as  the  grains,  while  hay,  sugar  beets,  fruit,  berries  and  garden  truck 
must  continue  to  be  grown  on  irrigated  lands.  A  wise  Providence  has 
made  it  possible  to  grow  grain  on  the  hilltops  and  the  lands  above  the 
highest  canals ;  reserving  the  bottom  lands,  where  water  may  be  more 
easily  and  cheaply  applied,  for  hay,  beets  and  vegetables,  and  the  slopes 
for  fruit  and  berries  which  require  less  water  and  better  air  and  soil 
drainage. 

The  importance  of  artificial  underdrainage  may  be  realized  when  it 
is  known  that  the  amount  of  agricultural  land  in  the  state  of  Utah  now 
unproductive  or  given  over  to  wet  pastures,  for  want  of  drainage,  is 
equal  to  at  least  a  fourth  of  the  amount  of  land  in  the  state  actually  being 
irrigated. 

Much  of  this  injured  area  has  been  productive  and  has  been  brought 
to  its  present  condition  through  a  too  liberal  use  of  irrigation  water.  A 
considerable  area  has  always  been  in  the  condition  in  which  we  now 
see  it.  Much  of  the  land  in  Utah  that  is  in  need  of  drainage  does  not 
present  the  appearance  of  a  swamp  to  the  eye.  In  truth  much  of  it  is 
dry  on  the  surface  and  is  covered  with  a  deposit  of  powdered  or  crystal- 
lized salts,  known  popularly  as  "Alkali."  These  salts,  however,  indicate 
that  for  a  part  of  each  year  at  least  the  ground  water  reaches  a  danger- 
ous proximity  to  the  surface,  such  that  through  the  action  of  capillary 
attraction  and  evaporation  the  salts  are  brought  to  and  deposited  upon 
the  surface  of  the  ground. 

These  salts  are,  of  course,  injurious  to  plant  life  as  is  indicated  by 
the  barren  condition  of  the  soil,  or  by  the  presence  of  certain  alkaline 
resistent  plants  such  as  salt  grass,  greasewood,  alkali  heath,  etc.    It  is 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED  LANDS  27 

only  necessary  to  provide  ample  underdrainage  to  a  depth  of  six  feet  or 
more  and  then  leach  out  the  salts  by  a  liberal  application  of  irrigation 
water  coupled  to  a  vigorous  cultivation  of  the  soil.  It  is  impossible  to 
wash  the  salts  from  the  surface  by  flushing.  They  must  be  dissolved  and 
leached  out  into  the  underdrainage. 

The  presence  of  the  salts  on  the  surface  indicates  that  the  ground 
water  is  at  such  a  height  that  plants  would  suffer  even  if  there  were  no 
salts  present  so  underdrainage  serves  a  double  purpose. 

It  behooves  all  citizens  of  this  city  and  state  to  acquaint  them- 
selves with  the  needs  and  possibilities  of  drainage  as  a  factor  in  agri- 
cultural development.  The  farmer  must  understand  the  situation, 
naturally,  as  he  is  directly  in  touch  with  it  and  there  is  no  valley  in  the 
state  in  which  the  problem  of  water-logging  has  not  been  encountered 
and  there  are  few  individual  farms  that  could  not  be  improved  by  drain- 
age. The  banker  should,  by  all  means,  understand  the  situation  because 
lands  injured  by  an  excess  of  water  or  alkaline  salts  generally  have  a 
very  low  loan  value  when  as  a  matter  of  fact  most  farms  which  are  not 
paying  taxes  can  be  improved  at  a  cost  of  from  $15  to  $25  an  acre  and 
be  made  to  yield  returns  on  a  valuation  of  from  $100  to  $200  per  acre. 
One  of  the  greatest  obstacles  to  drainage  reclamation  is  the  securing 
of  sufficient  funds  to  effect  the  reclamation.  Business  men,  professional 
men,  manufacturers,  railroad  heads  and  men  in  the  building  trades 
should  understand  the  situtation  because  the  future  of  their  business 
in  this  section  depends  to  a  considerable  extent  upon  this  factor.  This 
is  true  not  only  because  of  the  present  status  but  because  the  problem 
grows  bigger  as  time  goes  on  and  each  new  irrigation  development 
brings  with  it  an  increase  in  the  acreage  demanding  reclamation  by 
drainage.  In  fact  all  prudent  irrigation  companies  make  a  compre- 
hensive drainage  system  a  vital  part  of  their  plans  when  they  begin 
a  new  irrigation  project  and  it  is  usually  safe  to  avoid  projects  that 
advertise  perfect  natural  drainage  because  this  is  only  a  relative  term 
which  applies  before  irrigation  water  is  put  upon  the  land,  but  cannot 
apply  afterward.  Even  a  high  gravelly  bench  does  not  have  perfect 
natural  drainage  as  is  witnessed  by  the  fact  that  many  such  benches 
require  drainage.  Investors  are  becoming  inbued  with  a  new  wisdom 
and  their  inquiry  is  not,  "Is  this  soil  well  drained,"  but,  "What  pro- 
visions are  making  for  artificial  drainage"  and  "What  are  the  possi- 
bilites  of  securng  a  satisfactory  outlet  for  artificial  drainage."  There  are 
few  lands  so  badly  alkaline  in  this  state  that  they  cannot  be  brought  back 
to  a  high  state  of  cultivation  if  proper  methods  are  employed  but  it  must 
be  remembered  that  thorough  underdrainage  is  the  fundamental  basis 
of  all  such  reclamation  work.  A  great  deal  of  agitation  is  now  going 
on  throughout  the  state,  looking  toward  such  reclamation,  and  this  will 
be  followed  by  dishonest  activities  on  the  part  of  unscrupulous  pro- 
moters to  foist  worthless  lands  upon  the  unsuspecting.  It  should  be  re- 
membered that  thorough  underdrainage  is  a  vital  necessity  in  lands  that 
are,  have  been  or  may  become  impregnated  with  alkaline  salts. 

It  is  not  the  intention  of  this  article  to  attempt  an  enumeration  of 


28  SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 

all  the  sections  of  the  state  that  may  be  benefited  by  drainage  but  in  or- 
der to  convince  the  skeptical  of  the  seriousness  and  magnitude  of  the 
problem,  attention  will  be  called  to  sections  more  or  less  familiar  to  the 
general  public. 

If  a  trip  to  Ogden  is  made  over  the  O.  S.  L.  it  will  be  observed 
that  from  Beck's  Hot  Springs  to  Kaysville  there  is  a  very  little  land  in 
maximum  producing  condition  west  of  the  tracks  and  that  in  places  the 
wet  lands  extend  across  the  tracks  and  even  beyond  the  Interurban  line. 
This  means  that  one  of  the  richest  valleys  known  is  limited,  to  a  width 
in  places,  of  a  fraction  of  a  mile.  Beyond  Kaysville  the  Sand  Ridge  pro- 
jects out  into  the  valley  and  very  little  water-logged  land  is  to  be  seen 
but  much  may  be  found  in  a  short  drive  to  the  west.  The  seeped  area 
is  spreading  and  the  farmers  are  very  active  along  drainage  lines  in  that 
section. 

This  injury  will  continue  on  up  the  slope  and  in  case  the  Sand 
Ridge  is  irrigated  much  of  the  land  below  the  O.  S.  L.  tracks  will  re- 
quire drainage. 

West  of  Ogden  is  a  great  territory  that  should  be  thoroughly 
drained  and  continuing  north  of  Ogden  it  will  be  observed  that  the 
productive  area  narrows  down  to  a  mere  ribbon  as  far  north  as  Brigham 
City.  Beyond  this  point  the  Bear  River  Valley  spreads  out  its  great 
expanse.  Thousands  of  acres  of  land  in  this  valley  have  been  reclaimed 
by  drainage,  by  individuals  and  corporations,  and  much  more  remains  to 
be  done.  Crossing  over  the  divide  we  find  a  great  tract  of  wet  land 
in  the  very  heart  of  Cache  Valley. 

Returning  to  Salt  Lake  City  we  are  greeted  by  what  has  been 
aptly  termed  the  "eye  sore  of  Zion"  that  vast  area  of  land  lying  to  the 
west,  unproductive  and  useless  in  its  present  state  but  inherently  fertile 
and  capable  of  producing  rich  returns  if  relieved  of  its  excess  water 
and  properly  cultivated  and  irrigated.  Going  south  of  Salt  Lake,  water- 
logged land  may  be  found  on  both  sides  of  the  Jordan  River  while  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  land  lie  on  three  sides  of  Utah  Lake,  much  which  may 
be  reclaimed  by  gravity  canals  -and  much  by  diking  and  pumping. 

And  so  we  might  continue  on  down  through  central  valleys  of  the 
state  and  then  go  either  west  or  east  to  the  various  other  valleys,  old  or 
new,  but  enough  has  been  pointed  out  to  set  even  the  most  skeptical  to 
thinking  and  to  open  the  writer  to  the  charge  of  "knocking."  It  is 
not  intended  that  the  information  herein  given  shall  be  detrimental  to 
the  interests  of  this  city  or  state.  The  truth  is  good  enough  for  Utah  and 
investors  are  coming  to  appreciate  the  truth  more  than  the  lurid  advertis- 
ing which  has  been  a  curse  to  the  west.  All  irrigated  states  are  con- 
fronted with  the  problem  of  drainage,  but  Utah,  the  mother  of  Anglo- 
Saxon  irrigation  in  the  west  also  pioneered  in  the  reclamation  of  over- 
irrigated  lands  by  artificial  underdrainage.  The  other  states  followed 
the  lead  and  bid  fair  to  outdo  us  in  drainage  activities.  It  behooves 
us,  therfore,  to  bestir  ourselves  in  an  effort  to  regain  our  lost  ground, 
prevent  future  injury,  transform  our  "eye  sores"  into  garden  spots  and 
fulfill  our  destiny  of  making  the  desert  to  blossom  as  the  rose. 


ALKALI  AND  WATER  LOGGED   LANDS  29 

TILE  DRAINAGE  IN  THE  RECLAMATION  OF  WATER- 
LOGGED AND  ALKALINE  LANDS 

BY 

J.  C.  WiiEELON,  Chief  Engineer,  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Co. 

Though  but  Httle  time  has  heretofore  been  given  to  lands  which 
are  not  producing  money  crops,  it  appears  that  the  cultivation  of  the 
waste  places,  and  the  reclamation  of  the  vast  tracts  of  land  that  are 
now  idle  and  unproductive  presents  some  valuable  possibilities  for  the 
conservation  and  enhancement  of  the  agricultural  resources  of  the 
country.  For,  in  agriculture  even  more  than  in  other  lines  of  science 
or  business,  it  is  necessary  to  plan  constantly  for  future  improvement 
and  expansion. 

While  great  efforts  are  being  justly  put  forth  to  bring  the  new  and 
as  yet  unclaimed  desert  under  the  life-giving  influences  of  irrigation, 
a  very  large  field  of  endeavor  awaits  those  who  will  devote  their  at- 
tention to  the  reclamation  of  lands  already  under  irrigation. 

We  may  travel  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  settled  portion  of 
Utah  and  we  find  on  one  side  the  bench  lands  which  are  thirsting  for 
water,  while  on  the  other  side  we  can  see  the  lower  lands  giving  up  to 
the  unequal  contest  against  over-irrigation,  and  we  find  ourselves 
wondering  which  should  have  the  first  aid,  the  man  dying  of  thirst  or 
the  one  being  drowned  Personally,  I  am  attracted  to  the  drowning 
one  as  in  no  other  way  can  we  be  so  completely  convinced  that  there  is 
water  to  spare  for  all  the  needs  of  the  thirsty  one. 

While  we  realize  that  we  in  Utah  are  still  in  the  primer  in  the 
reclamation  of  water-logged  and  alkaline  lands,  yet  the  construction 
of  seventy-five  miles  of  farm  drain  tiling  in  Box  Elder  County  on 
lands  belonging  to  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Co.,  and  others,  has  been 
both  instructive  and  profitable. 

We  have  learned  that  the  salt  grass  and  toole  swales  can  be  drained 
and  made  to  yield  the  finest  of  wild  hay,  and  the  ground  made  dry  and 
firm  enough  to  admit  teams  and  wagons;  that  water-logged  and  min- 
eralized sage  brush  ground  can  be  drained  and  made  to  produce  oats 
and  alfalfa  and  that  old  water-logged  and  non-productive  farms  can 
be  drained  and  made  to  produce  profitable  crops.  We  finished  the  tile 
drainage  of  a  field  of  sage  brush  in  October  (1912)  and  on  August 
20th,  (1913)  there  was  threshed  from  this  field  an  average  of  35 
bushels  of  oats  per  acre  and  a  fairly  good  stand  of  young  alfalfa  that 
was  sown  with  the  oats  is  now  growing  on  the  ground.  This  means 
that  the  ground  was  plowed,  brushed,  leveled,  converted  into  a  seed 
bed,  harvested  and  threshed  in  less  than  ten  months,  four  months  of 
which  was  winter  weather  and  unfit  for  working  the  land. 

In  August,  1910,  the  writer  finished  a  tile  drain  system  on  sixty 
acres  of  water-logged  and  alkaline  alfalfa  land  that  had  been  cropped 
for  several  years  before  the  water  and  mineral  "took"  it,  the  lands 


30  SALT  LAKE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB 

were  irrigated  and  twenty-two  and  a  half  acres  of  the  most  non-pro- 
ductive was  measured  and  Fall  plowed.  The  following  Spring  (1911) 
the  plowed  land  was  planted  in  oats  and  alfalfa  and  in  the  following 
August  an  average  yield  of  fifty-one  bushels  of  oats  per  acre  was 
threshed  from  this  twenty-two  and  a  half  acres  of  ground  and  a  good 
stand  of  alfalfa  was  secured  which  is  increasing  in  yield  each  year. 

Mr.    Mathew    Baer,    who    is    Superintendent    of    the    Sommer's 
Ranches  in  Box  Elder  County  and  who  has  been  draining  lands  for' 
years  both  here  and  in  the  State  of  Illinois  permits  me  to  say  for  him 
that  he  feels  safe  in  expecting  enough  increase  in  crop  yield  in  the  first 
following  year  to  pay  for  the  cost  of  tile  drainage. 

These  results  are  due  not  alone  to  the  mechanical  improvement  re- 
sulting from  the  placing  of  a  drain  system  in  the  land,  but  rather  to 
the  competency  of  the  system  coupled  with  the  most  intelligent  process 
of  cultivation  of  the  soil  in  order  to  renew  its  former  consistency  and 
bring  about  a  proper  granulation  of  the  soil,  flush  from  the  surface 
the  mineral  concentrated  there,  thus  reducing  the  quantity  from  a 
harmful  to  a  helpful  amount,  and  cause  (also  by  irrigation)  the  re- 
distribution of  the  helpful  quantity  down,  and  through  the  subsoil. 

We  have  learned  that  a  few  essentials  in  the  reclamation  of  this 
class  of  lands  are  of  the  utmost  importance.  The  system  must  be  a 
competent  one.  The  placing  of  a  line  of  drains  through  a  field  in  a 
haphazard  manner  means  but  little  toward  a  competent  system.  The 
lines  should  be  laid  at  regular  intervals  of  distances  so  that  every  foot 
of  ground  has  nearly  equal  facility  for  relief.  The  lines  should  be 
about  eighty  to  one  hundred  feet  apart  for  each  foot  in  depth,  thus  if 
the  lines  are  laid  four  feet  deep  they  should  be  from  350  to  425  feet 
apart,  if  they  are  eight  or  ten  feet  deep  they  can  be  800  or  1000  feet 
apart  according  to  the  texture  of  the  soils,  the  shallow  lines  for  the 
more  heavy  clay,  the  deeper  lines  for  the  sandy  and  more  porous  soils. 
The  outlet  discharge  should  be  in  the  open  air  and  not  submerged 
under  the  water  of  the  stream  or  pond  into  which  the  soil  waters  may 
be  emptied  so  that  aeriation,  which  is  so  necessary  to  the  invalided 
lands,  can  be  effected  by  the  air  rushing  into  the  tile  over  the  flow  line 
and  thus  reach  the  pores  of.  the  soil  during  the  winter  season  when  the 
surface  is  frost  bound. 

The  land  should  be  leveled  arid  surfaced  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
first  irrigation  will  cover  every  portion  of  the  field  so  that  the  excess 
minerals  will  be  dissolved  and  carried  away  in  solution.  The  loss  or 
retention  of  fertility  in  the  soil  during  the  period  of  their  invalidity 
is  a  matter  of  much  concern ;  it  seems  that  where  the  "Black"  alkali 
predominates  the  minerals,  the  humus  contents  of  the  soil  are  actually 
consumed,  and  while  in  all  the  alkalines  there  is  at  least  a  trace  of 
"Black"  alkali  the  soils  and  soil  waters  of  Utah  are  so  free  from  this 
destructive  salt  that  we  have  seen  vegetable  and  manure  dressing  re- 
main intact  during  several  years  of  soil  inaction  due  to  mineralization, 
when  upon  the  reclamation  of  the  lands  the  soil  would  respond  to  the 
influence  of  the  fertilizer  as  readily  as  if  the  dressing  had  been  re- 
cently applied. 


lA-^. 


UNIVEBSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LlBIll^^ 
BERKELEY 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

Tj««t«  not  returned  on  time  are  subject  to  a  fine  of 
SOc'l^e^vnohlrSVlh.  third  da^^ 
^-el^i'Tarbe^^n/^^l' i?lp^'a.S  is  .«de  before 
expiration  of  loan  period. 


:;!;vJ!  21?  r-3?? 


* 


YC  65790 


369137 


3  ^OS 

3  3 


